The Secrets We Keep

The Secrets We Keep (The Secret They Kept Book 3) All copyright © 2023 Joanne Saccasan All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any way without permission except in the case of quotations or book reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Name, characters, businesses, organisations, places, events, locales and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to an actual person, living or dead, or actual events or locales is entirely coincidental. For information contact: Black Cat Ink Press https://blackcatinkpress.com/ J.S Ellis https://www.joannewritesbooks.com Cover Design by Getcovers ISBN: Ebook: 978-9918-9555-2-7 Paperback: 978-9918-9555-3-4 Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter One It sat in the cabinet for two days, and I knew what it was. There was no stamp and no return address. The sender of this envelope had sent it directly, meaning they knew where I lived. Six months had passed since I had received ominous roses on my doorstep. Six months had passed since I visited Henry in prison after Lucien got shot by his lover, Travis. A wispy twenty-four-year-old whose love had manifested into obsession. Lucien had this effect on people. Some people attracted an element of danger, yet you couldn’t stay away from them. It was all for the best to stay away from the striking blond model who now was a full-time photographer. That was what he told me when I spoke to him. That was a month ago. We chatted on Facebook but didn’t see each other in person. Well, I was the one who didn’t want this to become a habit. If it weren’t for Lucien, we would see each other regularly. I wasn’t seeing anyone; I was too distrustful of people to let anyone in. I picked up the envelope from the cabinet where I had left it. I placed it on the coffee table, but I wasn’t ready yet. I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of wine. I was still drinking, although not as heavily as before. Now, I live in an apartment in Bexley. It was accommodating and nicely decorated with Ikea furniture, but who cared; it was just furniture. If I had to describe my apartment in one word, it would be safe with its white walls, beech furniture, and white sofa. I returned to the living room with the glass of wine and placed it on the coffee table. I reached for the silver envelope and tore it open; it was what I had suspected all along. A wedding invitation. The envelope was an indication of that. The design was a kraft cardboard floral frame with initials—a vintage design, tasteful and classy. MR AND MRS OWENS REQUEST THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY AT THE MARRIAGE OF THEIR DAUGHTER SASHA OWENS TO LLOYD LEE AT BLAKES HOTEL, SOUTH KENSINGTON ON THE 12th of MAY AT FIVE O’CLOCK Of course, I knew Sasha was going to get married through Facebook. I scrolled through the comments where everyone congratulated the happy couple. There was a comment from Lucien and Jan. She might have cheated on Lloyd with Jan, as Anna had confessed, but nobody aired that on social media, I thought bitterly. So now Sasha was getting married and knew where I lived. Lucien must have told her, or he must have delivered this himself. The thought of having one of those beautiful people at my door made a chill run down my spine. I took a sip of wine and reread the wedding invitation, not that there was much to understand to begin with; it was just like any wedding invitation. I stood carrying the small card with me and looked out the window outside. Twilight was slowly setting, and the sky had shades of blue and pink. Sasha and I met for the first time at the club where Lucien had invited me. Unfortunately, she got attacked as Anna had, and, as it turned out, Travis was the culprit behind those malicious attacks. I couldn’t say Sasha and I were friends. After Lucien was shot, I had never seen her at the hospital. She never sent me a message or anything like that, which led me to wonder why she had invited me. Did Lucien put her up to it? Jan? I thought of Jan, the most gorgeous bloke I ever laid my eyes on with his long black hair that he kept shaved on the sides, with large blue eyes and face so sculpted, so perfectly symmetrical, you would think it was carved by the gods. Jan and I had become close, not that we would share personal details about one another, but Jan hardly left Lucien’s side when he was in the hospital. I had to urge him to go home and rest while I took over. I had grown to respect Jan for his loyalty and for what a good friend he was. Lucien had no one. There was Olivia and his circle of friends, but it still didn’t make up for the comfort that parents offered. To feel their warmth when they walked into the room. To feel the love of a mother and the strength of a father. He lingered in my mind, Lucien, like that portrait I refuse to hang on my wall. My phone beeped, and through the silence, it made me jump. I closed the curtain and picked up my phone from the kitchen counter. It was Lucien asking me if I was